Sir John Talbot, of Grafton

John Talbot of Grafton

Sir John Talbot of Grafton, Worcestershire (1545 – 28 January 1611[1]) was a prominent recusant English Catholic layman of the reigns of Elizabeth I of England and James I of England. He was connected by marriage to one of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators, and by acquaintance or family ties to other important Catholic figures. He fell often under suspicion from the English government.

He became a member of Lincoln's Inn, 10 February 1555-6.[2] He was member of Parliament for Droitwich in 1572.[3]

It was when passing through Smithfield, London, in July 1580, with Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, that Robert Johnson, the Catholic martyr, was recognized by Sledd, the informer. Indeed, Robert Persons calls Robert Johnson "Mr. Talbot's priest" (Cath. Rec. Soc., II, 27), though, as it appears, he was, rather, Lady Petre's. Talbot was committed to the custody of the Dean of Westminster, 24 August 1580, and afterwards removed to the house of his brother-in-law, Sir John Petre, in Aldersgate Street. On 1 October 1581, the plague being then rife in the City, he was moved to some other house within ten or twelve miles of London.

In 1583 the priest, Hugh Hall, confessed that he had in past years been entertained by him. Later Talbot was restricted to the house of one Henry Whitney, at Mitcham, Surrey, and two miles round it. In 1588 he was imprisoned in Wisbech Castle for having heard Mass contrary to the provisions of the statute 23 Eliz. c. i. From 9 Dec., 1588, to about 13 May 1589, he was liberated on bail, owing to his own and his wife's bad health. He then seems to have been restricted to his house in Clerkenwell.

On 12 March 1589-90, he was ordered into confinement at the house of Richard Fiennes at Broughton, Oxfordshire, whence he was released on bail for a fortnight on 24 May 1590. He was again allowed out on bail on 20 December 1590, and 22 July 1591. In 1592 he was at "Bickslie" (Bexley or Bickley?) Kent. On 27 August 1592, the recusants formerly imprisoned at Ely, Banbury, and Broughton were ordered back to their respective prisons; but an exception was made (17 September 1592) in favor of John Talbot. However, next year we find him in Ely gaol. Thence he was liberated on bail for a considerable period to act as umpire in a family dispute.

Later on he was allowed to take "the Bathes", presumably at Bath, on account of his health. Between Michaelmas, 1593, and 10 March following, he paid £120 in fines for recusancy. Afterwards he was imprisoned in Banbury Castle, whence he was released on bail for two months, 27 February 1596-7, his leave being subsequently extended on 29 April 1597, and 6 Nov., 1597.

In 1601 he was living in Worcestershire and pressure was brought to bear on him to secure his influence to promote the candidature of Sir Thomas Leighton as one of the parliamentary representatives of the shire. In 1604 he was paying £20 a month in fines for his recusancy, the benefit of which was on 26 August granted to Sir William Anstruther, who on 13 October in the same year obtained his pardon. On the following 8 December a warrant was issued for the release to him of £160, due from him to the Crown in fines for recusancy.

In 1605 he was suspected of complicity with the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot, one of whom, Robert Wintour, of Haddington near Droitwich, had married his daughter Gertrude. Robert Wintour, however, declared that he had said nothing on the subject to his father-in-law, knowing that he would not join the plot under any circumstances. Indeed he had actually driven the fugitive conspirators from his door. Talbot was, nevertheless, arrested, and on 4 December 1605, examined. On 26 September 1606, the value of his recusancy was granted to Lord Hay.

He was the only son and heir of Sir John Talbot, of Grafton, Worcestershire, and of Albrighton, Shropshire (died 6 June 1555), and wife Frances Gifford, daughter of Sir John Gifford, and grandson of Sir John Talbot of Albrighton, Shropshire (died 10 September 1549) by second wife Margaret Troutbeck, daughter of Adam Troutbeck of Mobberley, Chester, in turn a son of Sir Gilbert Talbot by second wife Etheldreda, called Audrey, Cotton, daughter of William Landwade Cotton of Landwade, Cambridgeshire.

He was the father, by Katherine Petre, daughter of Sir William Petre and his second wife, Anne Browne, daughter of Sir William Browne, Lord Mayor of London, of:

• Anne Talbot, married 18 November 1585 Thomas Hanmer (died 18 April 1619), and had issue, including Sir John Hanmer, 1st Baronet
• George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury, a Catholic priest
• John Talbot of Longford, Market Drayton, Shropshire (died London, 1607 or c. 1607), married Eleanor Baskerville, daughter of Sir Thomas Baskerville of Wolvershill, Herefordshire, and of Brinsop, Herefordshire, and had one son: John Talbot, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Talbot_of_Grafton

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• Sir John Talbot
• M, #12339
• Last Edited=9 Dec 2010
• Sir John Talbot was the son of Sir John Talbot and Frances Gifford.
• Child of Sir John Talbot
  • 1.Anne Talbot+
• Children of Sir John Talbot and Catherine Petre
  • 1.George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury d. 2 Apr 1630
  • 2.John Talbot+ d. c 1607
• From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p1234.htm#i12339 ______________________________
• John TALBOT (Sir)
• Acceded: Grafton, Worcestershire, England
• Died: 29 Jan 1610
• Buried: 30 Jan 1610, Albrighton, Shropshire, England
• Notes: See his Biography. http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/JohnTalbot.htm
• Father: John TALBOT (Sir)
• Mother: Frances GIFFARD
• Married 1: Catherine PETRE 18 Aug 1561, Ingatestone
• Children:
  • 1. George TALBOT (9° E. Shrewsbury)
  • 2. John TALBOT (Sir)
  • 3. Gertrude TALBOT
• Married 2: Margaret WINDSOR AFT 1596
• From: http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/TALBOT.htm#John TALBOT (Sir)4 ___________________________________
• TALBOT, John (1545-611), of Grafton, Worcs.
• b. 1545, 1st s. of Sir John Talbot of Grafton by Frances, da. of Sir John Giffard† of Chillington, Staffs. educ. Oxf.; M. Temple 1560. m. 1561, Katherine, da. of Sir William Petre, 3s. 3da. suc. fa. 1555.1
• The identification of the 1572 Worcestershire knight of the shire is anything but certain. A previous suggestion, that he was John Talbot of Longford, Shropshire, father of the 10th Earl of Shrewsbury, has to be discarded on grounds of his extreme youth, his eldest brother having been born in 1566. Another namesake, of Salwarpe, great-uncle of the 9th Earl, had only a small estate. John Talbot of Grafton would be an unexceptionable choice were it not for his Catholicism, which ought to have disqualified him from the Commons in 1572. In his favour it has to be noted that a number of the Worcestershire county families were undoubtedly Catholic; the sheriff who conducted the 1572 county election was himself classed as ‘indifferent’ in 1564; and Talbot had not publicly declared his religion at the time of his election.
• Talbot was brought up by, and married into the Catholic family of Sir William Petre, though Petre himself conformed, which Talbot never did. He made no mark on the journals of his one Parliament. Indeed, before the third session took place, he and other suspected Worcestershire Catholics were summoned before the Privy Council, when he entered a formal plea for time to think things over. He was committed to the custody of the dean of Westminster by whom, the Council hoped, he might be ‘resolved in conscience’, but he was not persuaded even to outward conformity, and by the time of the 1581 session of the 1572 Parliament he was in confinement, first in the Tower, then by October in the custody of his brother-in-law, Sir John Petre. On 30 June 1593 he asked permission to reside at his own house instead of in the Isle of Ely, and much of the rest of his life passed in varying degrees of confinement. From time to time he was given permission to visit his home or London on grounds of sickness, for business reasons, or to prosecute lawsuits. Finally in 1597 or 1598 he was freed, though continuing to pay £20 a month until his death, to the great detriment of his estate. Shortly before the 1601 general election the Privy Council ordered him not to oppose the candidature of Sir Thomas Leighton as knight of the shire. After the election of 1604 he complained that the sheriff had made an ‘undue return’. In 1604, when a bill for stricter measures against recusants was before the King, Lord Windsor wrote to Talbot asking him to come to London and join in a petition against it. At this time Talbot was trying to be discharged of his recusancy money—an attempt which was taken amiss by the Council, and obliged Talbot to protest that he ‘never intended to seek for any toleration from his Highness, but only to be discharged for my life’.2
• In the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot Talbot was examined and his papers searched. Several relatives were implicated including his son-in-law, Robert Winter, but no proof of Talbot’s own participation was found. He was one of the few members of his family to remain on good terms with his cousin Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, who frequently helped him with his estates and visited him at Grafton. Talbot died 28 Jan. 1611 and was buried at Albrighton. His eldest son, George, succeeded to the earldom of Shrewsbury in 1618.3
• From: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/ta... ______________________________
• Shrewsbury, Earl of (E, 1442)
• 5. Sir Gilbert Talbot KG, of Grafton, co. Worcester, fought on the Lancastrian side at the Battle of Bosworth 1485, Commander at the Battle of Stoke 1487, Deputy Captain of Calais (d. 19 Sep 1518), mar. (1) after 1475 Elizabeth le Scrope (widow of Thomas [le Scrope], 5th Baron Scrope of Masham), 5th dau. by his first wife of Ralph [de Greystock], 5th Baron Greystock, and had issue:
  • 1a. Sir Gilbert Talbot, of Grafton, co. Worcester, Sheriff of Worcestershire c. 1540 (dspms. 22 Oct 1542), mar. (1) Anne Paston, dau. and cohrss. of Sir William Paston, by his wife Lady Anne Beaufort, sister and cohrss. of Henry [Beaufort], 2nd Duke of Somerset, and 5th dau. of Edmund [Beaufort], 1st Duke of Somerset, and (2) Elizabeth Wynter, and had issue by his first wife:
    • 1b. Humphrey Talbot (dsp.)
    • 2b. Walter Talbot (dsp.)
    • 1b. Margaret Talbot, mar. Sir Robert Newport
    • 2b. Elizabeth Talbot, mar. Sir John Lyttelton, of Frankley in the County of Worcester (d. 17 May 1532), and had issue
    • 3b. Mary Talbot, mar. Sir Thomas Astley, of Patshull, co. Stafford, and had issue
  • 2a. Sir Humphrey Talbot (dsp. in the Holy Land)
• Sir Gilbert Talbot KG mar. (2) Etheldreda Gardiner (widow of (1) Thomas Barton and (2) Richard Gardiner, Lord Mayor of London), dau. of William Landwade, of Landwade, co. Cambridge, and had further issue:
  • 3a. Sir John Talbot, of Albrighton, co. Shropshire, and later of Grafton, co. Worcester, High Sheriff of Shropshire 1528, 1538 and 1542 (d. 10 Sep 1549), mar. (1) Margaret Troutbeck, dau. and hrss. of Adam Troutbeck, of Mobberley, co. Cheshire, and had issue:
    • 1b. Sir John Talbot, of Grafton and Albrighton (d. 6 Jun 1555), mar. Frances Giffard, dau. of Sir John Giffard, and had issue:
      • 1c. Sir John Talbot, of Grafton, mar. (1) Catherine Petre, 1st dau. of Sir William Petre, Secretary of State 1543-66, by his second wife Anne Tyrell, widow of Thomas Tyrell and dau. of Sir William Browne, Lord Mayor of London 1514, and (2) Hon Margaret Windsor, dau. of Henry [Windsor], 5th Baron Windsor, and had issue by his first wife:
        • 1d. George Talbot, later 9th Earl of Shrewsbury
        • 2d. John Talbot, of Longford, co. Shropshire (d. 1607), mar. Eleanor Baskerville, dau. and cohrss. of Sir Thomas Baskerville, of Brinsop, co. Hereford, and had issue:
          • 1e. John Talbot, later 10th Earl of Shrewsbury
• From: http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/shrewsbury1442.htm... _________________________________
• 'Talbot02'
• Sir John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewbury (b 1390, d Chastillon 20.07.1453)
• m1. (12.03.1406) Maud Nevill, Baroness Furnivall (b c1391, d before 1433, dau of Thomas Nevill, Lord Furnival)
  • 1. John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (b 1413, d Northampton 10.07.1460, 2nd son)
  • m1. (before 08.06.1421, sp) Catherine Burnel (dau of Sir Edward Burnel) this marriage may not have taken place
  • m2. Elizabeth Butler (d 08.09.1473, dau of James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormonde, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland)
    • A. .... etc.
    • B. Sir Gilbert Talbot of Grafton, Sheriff of Shropshire (d 19.09.1518, 5th son)
    • Brydges identifies Sir Gilber's 1st wife as Elizabeth, widow of Thomas, Lord Scrope of Masham, dau of Henry, Lord Scrope of Bolton by Alice Scrope. BP1934 identifies her as ...
    • m1. Elizabeth Greystock (dau of Ralph Greystock, 7th Lord of Greystoke, widow of Thomas, Lord Scrope)
      • i. .... etc.
    • m2. Etheldreda/Audrey Cotton (dau of William (not John) Cotton of Landwade)
      • iii. Sir John Talbot of Albrighton & Grafton, Sheriff of Shropshire (d 10.09.1549)
      • m1. Margaret Troutbeck (dau of Adam Troutbeck of Mobberley)
        • a. Sir John Talbot of Grafton & Albrighton (d 06.06.1555)
        • m. Frances Giffard (dau of Sir John Giffard of Chillington)
          • (1) Sir John Talbot of Grafton
          • m1. Catherine Petre (dau of Sir William Petre, Secretary of State)
            • (A) George Talbot, 9th Earl of Shrewsbury (d unm 02.04.1630)
            • (B) John Talbot of Longford (d 1607)
            • m. Elizabeth Baskerville (dau of Sir Thomas Baskerville of Wolvershill)
              • (i) .... etc.
            • (C) Gertrude Talbot (d young)
            • (D) Anne Talbot
            • Wife of Thomas Needham of Shenton, shown as of this generation by Brydges but of 2 generations earlier by BP1934.
            • (E) Gertrude Talbot mentioned by Brydges but not by BP1934
            • m. Robert Wintour
          • m2. Margaret (dau of Lord Windsor)
          • (2) Bridget Talbot (d 1619)
          • m. Sir John Talbot of Castlering (d 07.11.1613)
          • (3) Jane (Joan) Talbot
          • m. Sir George Bowes of Streatlam (Knight Marshall)
        • b. .... etc.
• Main source(s): BP1934 (Shrewsbury) with some support from Collins (Brydges, vol 3 (1812), 'Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury', p11+) with some support/contradiction from Visitation (Worcestershire, 1569, Talbot) and input/support as reported above
• From: Stirnet.com
• http://www.stirnet.com/genie/data/british/tt/talbot02.php ______________________________